Newbury MP, Richard Benyon and West Berkshire Council Leader, Gordon Lundie met the Minister responsible for the £1.5 billion Government broadband roll-out, Ed Vaizey. While pleased that West Berkshire is getting a decent share of the money allocated to Berkshire, both Gordon and Richard are disappointed that this means only 79% of households will have super-fast broadband connections.
The key to filling in the areas that won’t get super-fast is to access some of the £250 million that was recently announced to get the whole of the UK to 95% coverage.
Richard said;
“It was a really positive discussion. The Minister listened to our concerns and recognises West Berkshire’s case. He made an instant call to BT to ensure they are assisting the Council to find the best and most cost effective solutions for the remaining areas.”
Gordon Lundie said;
"I was delighted to get a supportive hearing from the Minister and believe we have a great chance now to bring forward a proposal that will see West Berks get to 90% coverage. Thanks to Richard Benyon for driving this forward"